The impact of 1:1 devices on behavior, engagement, and communication

This study examined the effects of 1:1 device use on behavior, engagement, and communication in two freshman English classes and one English Language Development (ELD) class. Each group completed two short units, one that was digitally enhanced and one that incorporated traditional instruction. Students in each group completed two surveys, both at the end of each unit. Each group was observed once during each unit and two students from each group were interviewed after both units were completed. It was determined that there were very few differences in student perceptions of their behavior, engagement, and communication depending on device use. It was also determined that off-task behaviors were common regardless of instructional mode, but the types of off-task behaviors differed. A discussion and conclusions are offered.